Travelin'

“I was a senior in high school in Costa Rica – that’s where we were living at the time because my dad was in the military. I was in bands, I was learning to play and getting into things like Travis picking. There wasn’t anything else to do but play the guitar. That's all there was to do, in fact! [Laughs]

“I didn’t have any intentions at this point, other than finishing high school so I could get the hell out of there and go to college in Gainesville, Florida. But this fellow said to me, ‘I’ve got to get you on record. I have to get you on tape.’ He had all of this recording equipment in his apartment. I went there, and it turned out to be the Voice Of America station. At least I think it was. Who knows what it really was? [Laughs]

“I hadn’t heard this recording in years. It was one of the first things done for the box set. Graham came back grinning like a Cheshire cat. ‘Wait till you hear this!’ he said. I listened to it and said, ‘Wow, that’s really great!'

"The song is so silly, and my voice sounds so strange, but I was just floored by the guitar playing. The fingerpicking I do on this emerged whole, and it’s kind of been the same my whole life. It’s my own little version of Travis picking."